[Capri] In upstate New York, the autumn months herald the harvest of a small fruit bursting with flavor: the grape.

Whether it's a regional favorite that originated here in America...

The concord grapes, they're just yummy.

-And everybody knows the flavor.

-They're just yummy.

...or imported European varieties cultivated for winemaking... Well, Riesling is the most transparent of terroir, of all of the grapes.

[Capri] ...or leaves of the vine being used to wrap a Syrian delicacy...

This little pomegranate molasses--- Whoa!

--makes all the difference.

...New Yorkers are elevating this versatile berry to new culinary heights.

I'm Capri Cafaro and I'm on a mission to uncover the incredible stories of the foods we grow... ...harvest, create... ...and celebrate.

Beautiful, amazing meal.

So, I'm traveling America's backroads to learn our cherished food traditions... Whoa.

...from those who make them possible... Look at that.

...and are helping keep them alive.

There is so much more to learn.

Whoa!

[Capri] On "America the Bountiful."

[announcer] America's farmers have nourished us for generations, but today they face unprecedented challenges.

American Farmland Trust works with farmers to help save the land that sustains us.

Together we can work to keep America bountiful.

[Capri] Grapes have been cultivated for millennia for their sweet variety of flavors and more recently studied for how those flavors are influenced by the environment in which they grow.

Upstate New York is a viti cultural landmark due to its variety of microclimates ideal for growing different types of grapes.

In Naples, the annual Grape Festival celebrates the vibrant flavors of local grapes in many forms.

From wine to donuts, all the way to grape barbecue.

There's also a heated competition for who can bake the best grape pie each year.

Local historian Trish Lambiase plays a central role in preserving the legacy of fruit in this area.

[Trish] You can see there are grape vines everywhere.

Even on Main Street we have vineyards.

I know there's a lot of grapes grown in this region, but is there one that really stands out as kind of the icon grape of the area?

Absolutely, and that would be the concord grape.

The concord grape was developed specifically for this climate.

The root stock can withstand our very cold winters.

Right.

And our very short summer growing season.

Is there anything special that is made with concord grapes right here in Naples and in the surrounding regions that really captures the community spirit when it comes to the concord grape?

Absolutely.

It was all started in 1959 by a local restauranteur, Al Hodges, selling grape pies and grape pie slices.

And they were so popular that he asked his neighbor, Irene Bouchard, to start baking for him.

She's known as the grape pie lady.

She baked from 1959 well into the 80s.

Oh my gosh.

In 1980 she was baking 300 pies a day.

Wow!

And her record was 8,000 pies in one season.

Well, being the pie lady, definitely Irene Bouchard has earned that title.

Absolutely.

Is there anyone here at the Festival that makes a great pie that is kind of in the style of pie lady Irene Bouchard that I could taste for myself?

Oh my goodness, we have a vendor here, James Kolb, and he is everything grape.

Yes.

And he is going to be baking a grape pie here on site in the Irene Bouchard original style.

[Capri] James Kolb knows a thing or two about the concord grape.

His company bakes 30,000 grape pies each summer, each one using a recipe that is in the regional tradition popularized by Irene Bouchard.

[James] I start with concord grapes.

[Capri] Right.

[James] They have an advantage that they're very smooth.

So, you start out with making some puree.

Yeah.

I usually just use a blender and add a little bit of water to get the smoothness.

Add the water and the sugar.

[Capri] Okay.

And then I like to use a little bit of lemon.

It helps balance the taste of the pie.

Makes sense.

And give this a swirl.

Get the sugar dissolved a little bit.

I'll help you out.

Okay, great.

And then we add-- This is corn starch.

Oh, corn starch.

I like corn starch better as a thickener.

The next thing is-- The star of the pie, the concord grape.

Yeah, a grape puree.

Now, how did you fall in love with making things with concord grape and that iconic taste of the region?

We started looking at different kinds of grapes and pies, and I found the most consistent was the concord grapes.

They were just yummy.

You're just yummy.

Everybody knows that flavor.

That's right.

Well, I mean, it is what the region is known for.

That's why folks know it so well.

So, I'm assuming next step is into the pie shell.

Just pour it in the pie shell.

And it'll be kind of loose and everything, but when you bake it, it will harden right up.

You know, it will give you that pie consistency.

[Capri] Sure.

The original pie, the Bouchard pie, it's a double crust, right?

[James] Yes.

This is a double crust.

And then just pull it back.

And then you can be my guest and go around and pinch the edges.

[Capri] All right.

After baking in the oven and then cooling for at least 3 hours, the pie is ready to taste.

I am so excited.

I feel like I'm going to be tasting a slice of Naples history.

[James] Yes.

Mmm.

Irene Bouchard was on to something with the double crust.

Yes.

Because it tamps down that sweetness.

Yes.

And really gives it a little bit of balance.

This is fantastic.

I mean, if I were to think of what a concord grape tastes like in my head, just that boldness.

Now if you're so good at making this pie, what else do you make with concord grapes?

We also make grape barbecue.

Well, I'm not going anywhere unless you give me some of this grape barbecue.

I've got to try it.

I have never heard of anything like that.

-Hot or mild?

-Hot.

Bring the heat.

[James] Next taste.

[Capri] And you use concord grapes for this too?

[James] Yes.

Oh my gosh.

Same mix.

Same puree.

And this is the hot?

[James] Yep, that's the hot.

Yum, yum, yum.

[James] It's got a great after taste.

I'm going to have to come back here just for this.

I love this.

I love sweet and hot.

[James] Yes.

So, this is perfect for me.

You know, I got pie.

I got barbecue.

I know that the concord grape can do a lot of things.

I'm going to need something to wash this down with.

Got any good ideas?

Well, you should take a walk through the wine walk.

Okay, well, I guess that's going to be the next place.

Do they make concord grape wine over there?

[James] Absolutely.

[Capri] At the Festival's Wine Garden, John French pours a sample of Arbor Hill, a wine made from local grapes including concords.

This is exciting because I've never tried a concord grape wine.

And this one is actually a blend.

So, we take some of what the Finger Lakes gives us and blend it together and cheers.

Cheers.

That is nice.

That is refreshing.

It is.

I bet this is really popular on a summer day?

On a summer day chilled out on the deck, out on the boat, it works out wonderfully.

And maybe at the festival too.

And at the Naples Grape Festival that is a fine place to enjoy wine.

Well, cheers to concord grapes and cheers to Naples.

[Capri] While New York has been regarded for growing excellent culinary grapes like concords since the 19th century, the Finger Lakes region has become well known in more recent decades for its contribution to fine winemaking.

Dr. Konstantin Frank was one of the original innovators that first brought advanced winemaking traditions to the Eastern United States in the mid-20th century.

A PhD in Viticulture, or the science of grape growing, Dr. Frank pioneered the cultivation of the European wine grape Vitis Vinifera.

Today Dr. Frank's grandson, Fred and great-granddaughter Meaghan produce over 40 different wines each year and they continue to explore what secrets New York soil can unlock in the Riesling grape.

Where did Dr. Frank come from when he settled here?

He came from Ukraine first through New York City and then he got a job at the Cornell Research Station for agriculture.

[Capri] Yeah.

Why here?

Why the Finger Lakes?

And why this particular kind of grape?

What makes it thrive here?

Yes, well, the Finger Lakes are in a very special place.

So basically, it's a collection of 11 lakes that are carved really deep glacial lakes.

And so, we're in a true cool climate, but the lakes moderate the very harsh winters that we get.

And also, we have a myriad of different soil types which is really interesting for grape growing and winemaking.

And so, for us, really making wines with the true sense of place is important.

and to showcase those differences with the soil.

Well, you've had many generations of your family now making wine, growing grapes.

So, you have to have some kind of a philosophy, an ethos if you will, to grape growing and winemaking.

What is that philosophy?

What is that ethos?

Well, you know, we're really trying to make wines with a sense of place.

So, it's something we call terroir.

Something to really express where we are in the world.

The soil, we're actually in a very special block of Riesling named for my great grandmother with a really high content of shale in the soil.

[Capri] Shale?

[Meaghan] Yes.

[Capri] Okay, so terroir I know means "land" or "soil" in French.

But what does that mean as it applies to grape growing in winemaking?

What does that term terroir mean in this context?

Absolutely.

Well, Riesling is the most transparent of terroir, of all of the grapes.

So, it's really expressing the soil, the land, also the people.

The people farming.

The people making the wine.

[Capri] I love that.

So terroir really is capturing everything that goes into growing that grape and making that wine.

[Meaghan] Yes, exactly.

And one thing we do prior to harvesting is we're always looking at the sugar.

[Capri] Before harvesting, winemakers measure the sugar content in a device called the refractometer.

This measures the grape sugar which tells us how mature the grapes are.

And what we're going to do is hold this up to the light and then adjust it.

And then you can see the bricks.

[Capri] That's like a view finder.

So, I'll have you take a look.

So, you're going to see a line and that tells you the percentage of sugar.

All right, so what I'm seeing here is it looks like it's like a half blue half white.

[Fred] Correct.

And the blue is over like, 18.

[Fred] Yes.

What does that mean in laymen's terms?

That means it's about 18 1/2 bricks.

So, we know that these grapes are not ready for picking.

[Capri] A dry Riesling like this one, should be harvested between 20 and 23 bricks.

So, this cluster is not quite ready.

The winery uses machine harvesters for the majority of the season.

But for this single vineyard Riesling, hand harvesting ensures that only the highest quality grapes are picked at the right time.

Just snip at the stem and then you can just kind of toss it in.

Toss it in the bin.

Snip at the stem, okay.

Snip at the stem.

Look at you.

I can literally feel like this explosion of tartness on the back of my tongue.

I don't think I've ever had a grape that good.

Probably because I've not had a grape directly off the vine.

But also, maybe I'm tasting the terroir.

Maybe I'm tasting the terroir.

So, we got four, five seeds here.

Some of them are brown and some of them are green.

Does that matter?

Yes, well the brown are showing that it's ripe grapes.

And the flavors that you're experiencing will translate into wonderful flavors in the wine.

[Capri] After the ripe grape clusters are harvested, they're taken to a mechanical sorting table where over-ripe or damaged grapes are removed.

After that, they're ready for "crush," the winemakers term for extracting the juice from the fruit.

Using a machine called a crusher destemmer, the team at Dr. Frank's removes the stems and leaves from the clusters after which the grapes are pressed and their juices sent to the cellar for fermentation.

[Meaghan] A lot of stainless-steel tanks.

And that's because we do a lot of Riesling, and we do aromatic varieties.

So, we really need a controlled fermentation.

Okay.

You know, so we need a really cool temperature during the fermentation so that all of those aromas don't just blow off with the heat-- Okay.

--during the fermentation.

And so that's why you use stainless steel as opposed to like, a barrel?

Correct.

Because I guess like, in my head, when I think wine fermentation, I think wood barrel.

So basically, it's just an inert vessel.

So, we're just looking for the purity coming through from that juice.

We're going to add some yeast.

The yeast is going to convert the sugar and the grape juice.

That's the fermentation process.

That's the fermentation process into alcohol.

You've thrown out a lot of stuff which makes me think like, Dr. Konstantin Frank, I can see why you need a PhD to run an operation like this.

I love it.

How do you know when something is ready in the fermentation process?

Do you taste it throughout?

We do.

Yeah, and we're also testing the sugar that's left in the juice.

So, it's really important, especially for our Rieslings, because we do some sweeter styles of Riesling.

You have to be really fine-tuned on when you're going to stop the fermentation.

Okay.

I'm really curious about what something tastes like midway through this fermentation process.

Absolutely.

Well, let's try some.

Okay.

And that's something that you would normally do.

Yes.

Absolutely.

Every day.

[Capri] Every day.

Yep.

[Capri] Now I'm really curious about this.

If you're looking for the sugars-- We are.

And we're also looking for particular flavors and no off aromas.

[Meaghan] Here we go.

Okay, so you're going to have to walk me through this.

What am I looking for mid-fermentation?

I mean, it looks pretty cloudy.

So, like I said, I'm not sure about that, but what are we looking for-- You said you're looking for off aromas.

Yeah.

We're just looking to see if the fermentation needs anything.

So, throughout the fermentation sometimes it needs a little bit of air.

It needs some nutrient.

It needs something.

And yeast is a living organism, right?

That's right.

So, it changes.

Yes.

And it sounds like you need to change the chemistry depending on what mood the yeast is in.

That's exactly right.

Alright, I'm catching on.

All right, so...

I don't think I smell anything off.

Yes, it smells really fruity, really fresh.

Yep.

And I see a little bit of bubble in that.

Yes, that's the carbon dioxide which is the by-product of fermentation.

Okay.

And it's going to blow right off but it is present.

Oh, yum.

I am pleasantly surprised.

It's a little tart.

Very fruity.

Yeah, it's tart and fruity.

Yes.

It's still a little bit like the juice.

[Meaghan] It is.

So, if you were to just have a fruit juice-- it would taste a little bit more like this.

And it does have more sugar so I guess we're not there yet.

We're not there yet.

We're getting there.

And do I get to try anymore?

Absolutely.

Yeah, let's definitely try some throughout maybe further along in this process.

[Capri] After about six months of fermentation, the wine is finished and ready to pour.

These are all same grade but totally different manifestations.

Walk me through it.

Absolutely.

So, we're going to start with one of our sparkling Rieslings.

Sparkling is one of my favorites in general in life.

Cheers.

Cheers.

Oh, that's yummy.

So, this is made in the traditional method.

So, Méthode Champenoise, and you get that same kind of apple flavor and aroma that we were tasting in the fermentation.

Wait a minute.

I was going to say, so this is the thing that we taste mid-fermentation?

Yes.

So, that is during our primary fermentation point.

So, in order to make this style of sparkling wine, we actually have to go through and actually make a dry table wine first.

And then once we do that, we bottle it in very thick glass because that is going to have to go through a secondary fermentation.

So that's what keeps it sparkling?

That's right.

So, the next wine is actually the wine that we sampled, the grapes in the vineyard.

So, this is Eugenia.

It's one of our single veneer dry Rieslings.

Eugenia and that's your great grandmother.

Great grandmother, yes.

Yeah, the wife of Konstantin.

Oh, that warms my heart.

Okay, we're going to try this.

It's for all the great grandmothers, right?

It's for all the great grandmothers, all right.

Oh, that's also lovely.

It is a little bit sweeter.

Hmm huh.

But it's not overly sweet.

Mmm-mm.

It's got that bright acidity and it's got that freshness.

Yeah.

And you even taste almost like a mineral focus.

Yes, it's the terroir.

It's the terroir.

So now I'm putting all the pieces together.

Yes.

The final is actually one of our dessert styles of Riesling.

So, if you remember in the vineyard, and also on the sorting table, we saw those grapes that almost were turning into raisins.

Yes.

So, they're affected by a rot that occurs naturally, it's called Botrytis cinerea.

It's a noble rot, and this wine actually has a portion of those raisin grapes inside.

Oh, interesting.

They are a noble rot.

Why do they call them a noble rot?

Yeah, it's just a very sought-after sort of way to make dessert wine.

You know, going back hundreds of years in Germany and France, it's how they make the most prized dessert wines from the world.

And it's changing the chemistry of the grapes.

You're increasing the acidity and the sugar.

Oh, okay.

And adding flavor.

So, it's like, nature's way of doing it in advance on the vine.

Yes, let's try it.

Mmm, that is nice.

That is nice.

It's sweet but not too sweet.

That's right.

Yep.

Very tropical.

That is really good.

You really have an incredible legacy here.

Thank you very much, Capri.

And it's wonderful to see you continuing it on.

I know that your great grandparents would be absolutely proud of you.

Oh, thank you.

And everything you put into every bottle and every glass.

So, cheers.

Thank you so much, Capri.

You have to come back.

To the next 100 years.

That's right.

The next 100 years.

[Capri] Grape berries are the most recognizable product of the vine, but they're not the only part of the plant with beloved culinary traditions.

Beth and Mohammad Alfayad's Rochester restaurant, Levantine, serves cuisine inspired by Mohammad's home country of Syria.

Yalenji, are rolled grape leaves brined in water and salt and stuffed with a filling of rice, fresh herbs, lemon and vegetables and are a favorite of Mohammad and his mother Entesar.

I know the restaurant that you have is Levatine's, right?

Levatine's, yes.

What does that mean?

What is the connection there?

Yeah, so it took us a while to decide on the name for our restaurant.

But one of the things that we kept coming back to was the idea that all of the borders in the Middle East are relatively new compared to the history of the cuisine and the culture there.

So, we decided that paying homage to the name of the region was the best way to go to acknowledge that we're pulling in a long history of cooking traditions that extend past the borders that were created in the last century.

Right.

I love that inclusiveness.

Now, I have to go back because I know you've learned so much from your mom and in the last two seconds, I've learned that I'm doing it all wrong from your mom.

So, would you please show me again?

I'm like, here I am doing what-- I don't even know what I'm doing.

So, show me what I'm doing.

[Entesar] These, face-- I need these face up.

Face up, that's where the stems are.

[Entesar] Yeah.

So, the rough side.

[Entesar] I put the rice like a line.

[Capri] Fold in and fold in those leaves.

In and up.

[Entesar] Tight.

[Capri] Tight.

Okay.

And you make it look so easy.

So, we roll these and then how long do you have to wait or how long do they-- Sometimes I can cook in the evening, maybe sometimes morning, to be cold.

How many hours?

Maybe four or five.

So, I got to start early in the morning.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's the part I miss when I sleep in.

They wake up and, oh, a nice smell.

What are you cooking?

That's the easiest way to get somebody out of bed, right?

You smell that smell, and they're going to be excited.

[Mohammad] We have drained the filling from the cold nice juices we cooked like lemon juice, pomegranate, molasses.

We going to use that in the broth.

[Capri] Okay.

With some tomato sauce.

And we're going to put it in like a pot.

Have some weight on it because when it's cooking and boiling, you'll be risking it to reopen and release all the rice.

You don't want that.

[Mohammad] So, you got to have some weight on top.

And then you just put it on low heat four hours and it should be ready.

Good job.

Now, what are your earliest memories of making this dish.

Did you all make it together?

Always my grandmother taught me, you have to do it.

I was not allowed to be in the kitchen.

[Capri] No?

I forced my way.

And you own a restaurant.

She was like, no that's not your place.

Just focus on your study.

And I was like, so interested.

Like, I see the raw ingredients, and for a little kid, to me, it's like magic.

Oh, yeah.

But how can we-- Like, these leaves taste so good.

I just want to learn all the secrets.

[Capri] What did you learn?

I was a good student, I think.

Yeah.

So, my mom finally, eventually, let me in the kitchen and we were good team.

I love that story.

I love that story.

[Capri] The rolled Yalenji are lined up inside a pot on top of vegetables before being weighed down and submerged into tomato sauce for four to five hours of simmering.

Entesar along with Mohammad's father, Fayad, immigrated to the United States just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic nearly halted global travel.

You guys ready?

[Capri] A sizable platter of Yalenji occupies a central place on the table for this family meal with Mohammad's brother, Muham, and Beth's parents, Patty and Tom, joining.

[Mohammad] Just one last thing is a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.

Oh, whoa.

Makes all the difference.

We call this like the ultimate Levantine comfort food.

Mmm, the pomegranate, which is the molasses, is the pomegranate juice and the pomegranates are bringing out the freshness of the mint to me, which is just great.

And it's got to be just really special, the fact that you all are able to eat like this so frequently.

How was that-- How did you all cope during that time apart as a family?

The food is such a great connection to me like with the memories.

It reminds me of my mom and time we spend together.

Also, I feel like I want to share it with Rochester.

And anybody that comes to my restaurant could experience all these flavors that I grew up with.

You all grew up here, right, in upstate New York?

Right.

And I would suspect this might be a little bit different than maybe some of the cuisine that you were used to growing up.

Yes.

Quite a bit.

This is authentic.

I mean, there is Middle Eastern restaurants here in town but they're nothing like this.

Yeah.

I grew up in an Irish family.

It was strictly meat and potatoes.

My dad lived with us but more and more since we've retired, we've watched cooking shows and we appreciate good food.

You're right.

People are recognizing that they want to experience all different types of foods regardless of their background.

Whether you grew up with meat and potatoes or you grew up eating grape leaves as part of your family meal every night or your birthday celebration.

At the end of the day, we all can understand one another so much better when we can enjoy each other's food.

Thank you so much.

I'm going to continue to dig in.

Thank you for coming.

Thank you.

[Capri] Here in upstate New York the autumn grape harvest remains a celebrated tradition in which generational knowledge blends with modern innovation to create unique vintages each year.

From the concord grape pies of Naples to the mineral rich Rieslings of the Finger Lakes, the region's terroir is present in every bite and sip.

Creating a tapestry of taste reflecting the people who call it home.

But why take my word for it, when you can come experience it for yourself.

America The Bountiful is waiting for you and me.

For more information visit Americathebountifulshow.com.

[announcer] America's farmers have nourished us for generations, but today they face unprecedented challenges.

American Farmland Trust works with farmers to help save the land that sustains us.

Together we can work to keep America bountiful.